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Southport
Southport is the county town of Cape Bangor County in New Cambria, and is historically the country's second city. Although it has been surpassed in population by both Averytown and Talbot, Southport still plays runner-up only to Arvant in terms of cultural, educational and medical offerings and access to transportation and commerce. In 2006, a total 153,303 people lived in Southport, and it is one of New Cambria's four home rule municipalities. Its original French name Port-Sud was given to the area by Christian Leveque, leader of the first European expedition to the island. Leveque's ship sailed past two natural harbours before finally landing in the third, southernmost, one. Geography Cityscape Neighboring Municipalities * Glamorgan, Cape Bangor County (north) * Douglas, Cape Bangor County (east) * Brecon, Cape Bangor County (south) * Atlantic Ocean (west) * D'Arcy, Cape Bangor County (north-west) * Cullen, Cape Bangor County (north-west) History Due to the Local Government Act 1957, Southport City, twelve neighboring towns, five villages and over 900km² of sparsely-populated land were consolidated into a single incorporated area named Municipality of Southport. These towns have retained their identity within the municipality, and it is common for them to be referred to by their former town name, particularly in the mail (ex. 10 Sentry Square, Old Downbrook, Southport, 2SP-082). In 1986, the Assembly granted Southport the status of "home-rule municipality," thereby establishing a municipal council with the same powers as a county council. The Act did not remove Sourhport from Cape Bangor County, however. Cape Bangor's County Council still has its seat there, to which the Municpality of Southport is entitled to elect one councilor. Administration Southport is one of New Cambria's four home-rule municipalities (the others being Arvant, Averytown and Talbot). As such, is it administered separately from the rest of Cape Bangor County. The Southport Municipal Council is a 25-member legislative and executive body, twenty of whom are elected from single-member constituencies, and the remaining five are elected to represent the municipality at-large. All councilors are elected to terms not to exceed three years. The council elects among its own membership a mayor to serve a single-year term. Because of Southport's home-rule status, the municipality is permitted only a single member in the Cape Bangor County Council until 2012, after which Southport's representation in the council will cease. Other agencies providing services to Southport are the Southport Municipal School District, the Southport Police Patrol Zone and the Southport Fire Safety District. Demographics Economy Infrastructure Road and Rail Southport is well-connected to the rest of New Cambria Island by road, with four of the country's ten national routes passing through the municipality. Currently, the routes in and around Southport's most densely-populated areas are in the process of upgrading, with new four-lane roads and interchanges being constructed to replace the two-lane thoroughfares and intersections. Outside of the urban areas, most of Southport's roads are, like the rest of the country, single- or two-lane gravel roads. Many of these are being replaced with asphalt paving, however. Southport's connection to New Cambria's only rail line was disconnected in 1994, largely due to the decline in cargo arriving and departing from Southport harbour. The municipal council is exploring the possibility of using the tracks that remain to install a commuter rail system. Sea and Air Southport was the location of New Cambria's largest shipping and passenger port until the late 1800s, when it was eclipsed by Arvant. Today, Southport is a popular port of call for transatlantic cruise ships. Cape Bangor Regional Airport is located 25km from Southport's CBD, and handles small jet aircraft and the occasional jetliner. Cambria Airways, New Cambria's national airline, offers daily service to Arvant and The Settlement, and weekly service to St. Johns and Boston. Culture Southport is known as New Cambria's centre for the dramatic arts. The Crossing, an arts district just north of Southport's CBD, is often referred to as the Little West End in tourism literature, drawing comparison to London's famous theatre district. Whereas international touring companies regularly make stops in Arvant, theatres in Southport often attract well-financed productions for extended runs. Among the Crossing's longest-running plays and musicals are Les Miserables, which played from 2000 to 2007 and Into the Woods, which ran from 1999 to 2005. Sites of Interest Education Primary and Secondary As one of New Cambria's four home-rule municipalities, Southport maintains its own local school system, the Southport Municipal School District. The district educates approximately 25,000 students and employs some 1,600 teachers. Southport MSD operates 30 primary, eight lower-secondary, five upper-secondary, and two alternative schools. Cathedral High School in downtown Southport is New Cambria's oldest school. Formerly belonging to the Cathedral of St. Anne, a nearby Catholic church, Cathedral High is now a state-sponsored public school. With the municipality are eleven private schools, nine of which are operated by the Catholic Church. Approximately 3,200 students attend private school in Southport. Tertiary ]]Southport is home to Southport City University, formerly known as the City Institute of Southport. Also within the municipality is Sacred Heart College, located 30km south-east of the Southport CBD on an 1,800-acre forested campus. Sacred Heart was exclusively a teachers' college until the 1950s, when it expanded its offerings to include theology, theatre, music, political science and sociology, among other disciplines. Because of its small size and excellent reputation, Sacred Heart is one of New Cambria's most selective tertiary institutions, admitting only 20%-30% of applicants each year. Sister Cities Southport is twinned with the following cities: * Lausanne, Switzerland (since 1988) * Seattle, Washington, United States (since 1997) * Palermo, Sicily, Italy (since 2005) Category:New Cambria Category:Settlements